March 28, 2025
So you’re the Team Mom! Congratulations. First timers, relax! Because I rounded up lots of team mom dugout and party tips. By the time the pizza is served, you’ll know your team and parents had a great season.
Team Mom Duties
If being Team Mom is like anything else, you’ll find out what the duties are after you’ve done your very best in a mystery position.
You know what I mean. Afterward, everyone who didn’t help you will explain what you should have known.
And I just made myself mad, saying those words: “should have known.” Sometimes those words belong. But when they don’t, it’s the worst.
So let’s get you ready to do the job with things you will know. All the team mom dugout and party tips you can handle!
We will talk about how to get started, which takes place mostly in the dugout. Then we will talk about how to finish, which takes place around a table with pizza and happy kids.
TEAM MOM: DUGOUT STUFF SHE KNEW
Quick story: One season I watched with admiration as the team mom moved about in the dugout. Oblivious to all the dirt and the children running in and out, she laid out printed baseballs along the bench with names and numbers (held in place with some kind of adhesive on the back). Then she lined up a group of laundry baskets along the fence, again labeled with a name and a number. Every kid would have a place to sit, and a place to keep their gear.
While that may not seem like a lot to you, I was there. It was a lot. She didn’t yet know the children or the parents. But there she was, giving structure and guidance. (Thank goodness baseball kids are numbered nice and big on their backs, right? 😆)
It wasn’t long before every kid knew where to sit, when to put his bat in the basket, and when to put his glove and hat in the basket.
Want to know the best part? (Because of course I asked.) She was a first-year dugout mom. Yep. Had never done it before. She just searched for advice and got it.
Just like you’re doing today.
And of course she said one word that just makes my heart pump up with joy. “Pinterest.”
Now I love to search for things on Pinterest. Maybe you do, too. But it takes time. And you have to filter out the things that were no help, or the things that were the wrong help.
So today I’ve got links to get you started. Team mom dugout and party tips to help you. Overview, specific items and processes, and encouragement. Each should be helpful in its own way. Whether you follow the exact advice or you know a better method, this will still be helpful.
So yes, you’ll get those links below, and you can check out each one. By the time you finish, you’ll know what you’re looking for and how to find it. And this is important: I’m not claiming to know everything. I’m just impressed at how much there is to know, and how beautifully things can be done when people help you.
Here’s how this looks right now: You wandered in with questions about dugout and party tips. You know that there are duties you will perform, and I’ve rounded up the ladies who want to help you.
One by one they will tell you how it was for them, and what worked. When you leave, you’ll have an armload of ideas and encouragement from those who have experience.
TEAM MOM ADVICE FOR YOU
Listen. You know how this goes. You click a link, and you read the article I highlighted, but you see more there. Then you start with the next link, and the same thing happens. Suddenly it’s next year and you’ve missed everyone’s birthday because you were deep in the Pinterest world. 😄
You still have to sort out the things that don’t apply, and look harder for the things I missed (sorry).
I didn’t promise this would be quick, but I did promise to point you to real help.
Here you go:
At the website My Friend Meg you’ll see an overview of Team Mom Organization Tips.
Rachel at Fit Fun And Over 40 has the Ultimate Guide: How To Be The Best Team Mom Ever!
Leslie at What’s Working Here has your perfect story: Team Mom Fail — What I Learned.
At the website There’s No Place Like Home Plate you’ll find How to Stay Organized as a Team Mom.
At Dragon Mama, check out Setting Up A T-Ball Dugout.
This should get you started. Of course it helps you in the dugout. And party tips will make that end-of-season celebration so much easier.
MOMS AND DADS TAKE IT FROM PANIC TO PARTY
Got time for one more story? It’s not baseball this time, it’s basketball.
Just before the last two games of the season, the team coach suddenly was called away on an emergency. There was no team mom. 😟
With nothing but an e-mail to that effect, parents put their heads together. Dads gladly coached the boys at those final practices and games. Moms put together the party. They huddled and discussed all the details.
All this as I sat innocently viewing the practice.
When the moms returned, one sat down next to me. She explained what had happened, and how they planned for the last games and the “after party.” Then she told me what I had volunteered for. 😆
My contribution was to create the awards, the printed certificates for the team members. One of the dads was assigning nicknames to all the players based on their braggable attributes. Which was awesome. He made the presentations to the team at the party.
I loved making the awards in Canva, and loved seeing the kids faces as they were recognized for their achievements.
By the way, the party was great. I’ll show you links for party items in a second, in case you’re interested.
TEAM MOM CERTIFICATES FOR PARTY
That’s the reason I am mentioning the story today. Team certificates. And also a link to a baseline template for a certificate. It’s designed to be used for any sport. There are plenty of templates online, and you may want to try one.
When it was my turn, I needed it to be simple and understandable. I love printables (as you know) but I’m not a professional editor or publisher. Just a Canva enthusiast loving the ability to design easily. I’m sharing the certificate because it will give you a boost if this is what you volunteered for.
ALMOST TO PIZZA PARTY
The invitation to you today was to get you through it all, from dirty dugout to pizza party.
And we will. Meanwhile, here’s the behind-the-scenes knowledge of the “been-there club.”
Over the season, you’ll cultivate those sports-parents relationships over common interests, and parents will learn each other’s names. As you become a “micro-community” within the league, folks will begin to ask how they can help. You’ll be able to recruit dugout moms, schedule snack suppliers, and get to know people.
As the last games are played, you’ll be talking with the coaches and the parents to get the year-end celebration planned.
And most of the children will have grown — in skills, in friendships, and in accomplishments. Success stories will be told (and retold) within their families.
And you were there, high-fiving every performance.
Thank you. It’s a leadership position in the costume of a servant.
Here are the rest of the tips.
PIZZA PARTY WITH ROCKING TEAM MOM
Here are the party items you might consider:
Baseball themed plates, napkins, and forks
Baseball Tablecloth Round Fitted
Baseball Tablecloth Rectangular
If it’s a local league and you know the other Team Moms, why not collaborate on the things you figure out?
Because sometimes when you buy more, the cost is less.
I’ll have just a few more links to ideas in a minute. But I need to say this:
CONGRATULATIONS, TEAM MOM!
You know something, and it’s this: I’m seeing all this from the bleachers, not the inside of the dugout. A mere observer.
I was excited to help once or twice, even inside the dugout as a helper. (After all, I am a professional child wrangler.)
So much more goes into running these programs than we see. Like team photos, uniforms, health concerns. Volunteers to organize, and coaches to help.
I’ve only scratched the surface.
But for the things I did see, the moms who rocked it, I just wanted to shine the spotlight on them. Show you what they were able to do. Because it was so impressive. 📣
DUGOUT AND PARTY TIPS
All these links and ideas will help you do the job. But there’s something more.
You’ll love seeing the faces of these kids when they get the cheers, and know the thrill of doing something “good” in front of a crowd. They want to be with their friends; that’s their main objective. But you can help blend it all together.
Watch the change in the little ones as they figure out what things mean, the sequence of the game, and the idea of hitting (or throwing or catching) that ball and hearing the cheers of the parents. For a few minutes, they’re stars!
A few more ideas…
One is a really cute clothespin-based lineup/roster you can purchase on Etsy.
There is also this great idea for a Pocket Organizer used for lineup.
If you want to print tags for seats or buckets, you can get a Canva Dugout Tags Template on Etsy and custom print each name.
So many great ideas, so little time.
Dugout To Pizza Party
Has this given you any help? Maybe the vague beginning of a checklist?
Team Moms really do make things better. If you’re one, thank you. If you see one, thank her. 💖
By the way, 😎
Some of the products mentioned as links on this page are affiliate links. That means a merchant may give me a tiny reward if you buy something I recommended to you. At no cost to you. Tiny rewards like that, plus the sale of my own products, help to reduce the ongoing cost of the blog. (Or, as my husband calls it, my expensive hobby. 😉)
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Are you on Pinterest? That is a crazy fun place! You can find so many helpful things. Take a look at what I’ve saved for you! A lot of things that never make it to the blog. Here are my Pinterest pins, and I have lots of categories/boards if you’re looking for something specific.
-Grammye
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